Method for automatically controlling the punching of control cards for making patterned textiles in conformity with a sample design

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for controlling the punching of control cards which are, in turn, employed for controlling weaving devices for the manufacture of colored patterned textiles. The pattern to be punched into the control card is set up on a design member in the form of adjacent transverse rows of areas which are individually colored in conformity with the desired pattern. A control member is also provided having at least vertical lines thereon spaced apart the same distance as a width of a respective area on the design member. The control and design members are fixed in position relative to each other and an optical scanning device is opposed to each with the devices mounted on a carriage moveable in the transverse direction of the control and design members. The optical device scanning the design member is only effective when the optical device scanning the control member passes over a line thereof and a punching device for the control card is punched in conformity with the detected color. The control member and the design member can be in the form of a unitary article, or they can be separate articles. After one transverse row of areas of the design member is scanned, the carriage returns to a starting position and at least the design member advances and the next row of areas is then scanned.

United States Patent [191 Bitterlich [451 Jan. 1, 1974 METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE PUNCIIING OF CONTROL CARDS FOR MAKING PATTERNED TEXTILES IN CONFORMITY WITH A SAMPLE DESIGN [76] Inventor: Johannes Bitterlich, Schlosstrasse l1, Erbach, Wurtternberg, Germany 22 Filed: May 13, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 143,094

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 14, 1970 Germany P 20 23 607.1

[52] US. Cl 234/2, 234/65, 234/75, 234/131- [51] Int. Cl. G061t 1/02 [58] Field of Search 234/2, 1, 20, 75, 234/65, 131, 59, 71; 235/61.1l G

[5 6] References I Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,555,852 1/1971 Stock et a1 234/131 X 3,286,083 11/1966 Nielsen 235/6l.ll G 2,731,200 1/1956 Koelsch, .lr. 235/6l.1l G

2,845,096 7/1958 Pasquet i 234/65 X 3,319,881 5/1967 Loflen i 234/59 3,460,099 8/1969 Freclkin.. 235/61.l1 G X 3,525,471 8/1970 Keen 234/131 X Primary Examiner-Frank T. Yost Att0rney-Walter Becker [57] ABSTRACT A method and apparatus for controlling the punching of control'cards which are, in turn, employed for controlling weaving devices for the, manufacture of colored patterned textiles. The pattern to be punched into the control card is set up on a design member in the form of adjacent transverse rows of areas which are individually colored in conformity with the desired pattern. A control member is also provided having at least vertical lines thereon spaced apart the same distance as a width of a respective area on the design member. The control and design members are fixed in position relative to each other and an optical scanning device is opposed to each with the devices mounted on a carriage moveable in the transverse direction of the control and design members. The optical device scanning the design member is only effective when the optical device scanning the control member passes over a line thereof and a punching device for the control card is punched in conformity with the detected color. The control member and the design member can be in the form of a unitary article, or they can be separate articles. After one transverse row of areas of the design member is scanned, the carriage returns to a starting position and at least the design member advances and the next row of areas is then scanned.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN HEM 3.782.625

SHEET 2 BF 3 Fig.3

Fig.4

1 N VE N TOR @4049: 3/%/-//r/ METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE PUNCHING OF CONTROL CARDS FOR MAKING PATTERNED TEXTILES IN CONFORMITY WITH A SAMPLE DESIGN For purposes of patern textiles, for instance, on weaving machines, so-called control cards are employed which consist of strong paper or cardboard and are provided with a certain punched pattern in order to produce the desired pattern. This punched pattern is produced by means of a so-called sample design which consists of a sheet of paper divided by longitudinal and transverse lines into areas into which one or more colors are entered in conformity with the desired pattern. The patterns are created in so-called studios and are manually applied to the sample design.

In conformity with the hertofore customary manner, the pattern of the sample design is by an operator transferred to the control card. To this end a so-called card punching machine is employed which is provided with keys for actuating a punching device with a plurality of punches. The operator reads the pattern from the pattern or sample design line for line and by means of the card punching machine punches holes according to the pattern into the control card. This control card is later placed into the textile machine and is scanned by a needle mechanism. The feeler needles will, during the manufacturing process of the textiles, control a mechanism which brings about the pattern of the textile article. With a weaving machine, the warps are lifted and lowered in conformity with the desired pattern.

Inasmuch as the output of an operator operating a card punching machine for producing control cards is relatively low, it has been attempted to mechanize the work of transferring the pattern from the pattern design to the control card. Inasmuch as the manually designed pattern design on ordinary pattern paper is neither distortion-free in the longitudinal direction nor in the transverse direction, it was not possible to scan customary pattern designs by means of photoelectric color reading optics. Therefore, it became necessary to employ pattern designs of distortion-free material, especially synthetic material, which will, under all circumstances, assure a permanent distance between the longitudinal and transverse lines.

With a heretofore known device for automatically controlling the punching of control cards by means of a distortion-free sample design, the colors of the fields were read photoelectrically by means of color reading optics and were translated into electric pulses which control the punching device for punching the control card. The scanning of the pattern design or master design is with the heretofore known device effected line a considerably greater care has to be employed when entering the colors into the fields of the master design because already minor differences in the strength of the j color will with the transparent master design cause faulty pulses in the color reading optics. Finally, it is highly disadvantageous that the said known device can be used only for specific master designs so that all heretofore created master designs of paper cannot be used.

Since a new preparation of these existing master designs on a distortion-free foil of synthetic material will cost about five times as much as the making of an ordinary master design, the creation of a new master design for purposes of employing the heretofore known device with automatic reading in a, photoelectric manner is uneconomical. Additionally there may be mentioned that the ordinary master designs of paper usually do not have the distance between the longitudinal and transverse lines which must be employed with the master design of distortion-free synthetic material, in view of the device to be employed so that a great number of presently existing master designs cannot be used for a new creation.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method and device for an automatic optical electrical reading of master designs which are drawn up in a customary manner on ordinary known distortionfree paper with any desired spacing between the longitudinal lines and transverse lines.

These objects and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the entire device according to the invention for making control cards on the basis of a sample design.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the device according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a sample design for use in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic side view of that part of the device which carries the two optics.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a portion of the master design and of a master design section on an enlarged scale.

FIG. 6 is a vertical section through the cutout of FIG. 5, said section being taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5.

The method according to the present invention is characterized primarily in that the color reading optics for reading a field of the master design 8 is turned on only when a preceding rhythm optic has transgressed a longitudinal line of a color-free pattern design section which has been separated from the master design to be read. In view of the arrangement of the rhythm optics preceding the sample design, which rhythm optics scan a color-free master design section in transverse direction, said sample design section being separated from the master design to be read, and briefly turns on the color reading optics after each transgression of a longitudinal line, it will be assured that the color reading optics will also with a distorted master design read the individual fields or areas exactly one after the other and approximately in the center of each field because any possible distortion of the master design also occurs in the color-free master design.

The scanning of the color-free master design furthermore furnishes the possibility of scanning master designs with different distances between the longitudinal lines because the reading point of the color reading optics is controlled by the colorless master design section which corresponds to the master design with regard to the distances between the longitudinal lines. By employing a scanning optic and by separating a color-free section of a master design, the method according to the invention permits a reading also of already existing designs of paper in a photoelectric manner and thereby an automatic control of the punching operation by control cards.

For purposes of carrying out the method according to the present invention a device may be used which is equipped with a punching device for the control card to be produced and is furthermore equipped with a color reading optic which scans the master design line for line which is clamped into a holding device and whose electric pulses created in this connection are employed for controlling the punching device. The design of the device according to the invention is characterized primarily in that the color reading optic mechanism is preceded by a rhythm optic mechanism which together with the color reading optic mechanism is arranged on a carriage. The said carriage continuously moves along the transversely extended lines of the master design and returns to its starting position, while the master design is advanced by one line.

According to a further feature of the invention, the color-free master design section is, by means of a clamping device in conformity with the longitudinal lines of the master design, clamped between the rhythm optic mechanism and the master design in such a way that the rhythm optic mechanism scans the color-free master design section and the color reading optic reading mechanism scans the master design. For purposes of protecting the colorless master design section; a transparent cover may be provided.

In order to be able to set the rhythm optic mechanism and color reading optic mechanism independently of each other in conformity with the respective spacing between the longitudinal lines and between the transverse lines of the master design to be scanned, it is suggested in conformity with a further feature of the invention to arrange the rhythm optic mechanism and the color reading optic mechanism respectively on a support which is adjustably arranged in longitudinal and transverse direction on the carriage.

Furthermore, it is advantageous to design the color reading optic mechanism and the rhythm optic mechanism so that they will be adjustable in vertical direction to the master design and with regard to the color-free master design section in order to be able to adjust the beams to the desired magnitude of the reading range.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1 and 2 which show a total view of the device for making control cards on the basis of a master design, illustrate a machine frame 1 having mounted thereon a supply roller 2. From this supply roller 2 the control card is withdrawn through deviating rollers 3. The punching of the control card 5 is effected by means of a punching device 4 which has been illustrated diagrammatically only.

Two guiding rollers 7 are journalled on a stand 6 and carry a master design 8. An example of such master design 8 is shown in FIG. 3. As will be seen from FIG. 3, the master design is subdivided by longitudinal and transverse lines so as to form fields. At the start of the master design 8, there is provided a color-free master design section 8a. Adjacent to this color-free master design section 8a the fields 8b defined by the longitudi nal and transverse lines are, in conformity with the master design which is to be applied to the textiles to be made, provided with colors. Although the fields 8b are slightly blackened in conformity with FIG. 3 in practice a plurality of different colors may be employed.

As will be evident from FIG. 4, the master design 8 has its backside guided over a guiding plate 6a connected to the stand 6. On the front side of the master design 8 there is on the stand 6 provided a transverse beam 6b Which comprises a ball guiding 6c. On this ball guiding means 6c there is movable a carriage 11 in a direction transverse to the longitudinal direction of the master design 8. This carriage 11 carries color reading optics 9 and rhythm optics 10. The movement of carriage 11 will within the illustrated embodiment be caused by a spindle 12 which engages a spindle nut 11a of the carriage 11.

In order to be able to adjust the reading optics 9 and the rhythm optics 10 independently of each other in the longitudinal and transverse direction, the color reading optics 9 are arranged on a support 13 while the rhythm optics 10 are arranged on a support 14. Both supports 13 and 14 are adjustable in vertical and horizontal direction on the carriage 11. Furthermore, it is possible to adjust the rhythm optics 10 as well as the color reading optics 9 in a direction perpendicular with regard to bers 15a is mounted. This clamping device serves for retaining the color-free pattern section 8a after the latter has been separated from the master design 8. The position of this master design section 8a is particularly clearly shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 shows that the longitudinal lines of the master design section 8a are aligned precisely with regard to the longitudinal lines of the master design 8. The master design 8 in its part is designed in conformity with the transverse lines of the master design section 8a so that also the transverse lines will coincide with each other. In order to assure a proper guiding of the master design 8 and the master design section 8a clamped into the clamping device 15, the master design section 8a is arranged behind a transparent cover 16.

After the color-free master design section 8a has, by a clamping device 15 in conformity with the longitudinal lines of the master design 8, been clamped between the rhythm optics l0 and the master design 8 in such a way that the rhythm optics 10 scan the color-free master design section 8a and the color reading optics 9 scan the section 8, the device can be started. To this end, the carriage 11 supporting the color reading optics 9 and the rhythm optics 10 is moved to the marginal I area of the master design 8 so that the optics are located above the outermost color-free column of the master design 8 or master design section 8a. When now the carriage 11 is in a continuous manner displaced in horizontal direction, the color reading optics 9 and the rhythm optics 10 will successively read each field of a line of the master design 8 or the master design section 8a. As soon as in this connection the rhythm optics 10 have transgressed a longitudinal line of the master design section 8a, the color reading optics 9 are briefly turned on for reading the respective field of the master design 8. In this way it will be assured that the color reading optics will ascertain the color value to be read and will ascertain these values always in the center of each field. In conformity with the color ascertained in a photoelectrical manner, electric pulses are emitted by the color reading optics 9, which pulses will control the punching device 4 for punching the control card 5.

As soon as the carriage 11 has reached the end of a line, the master design 8 is advanced by one line by means of the guiding rollers 7. During this action, the carriage 11 with the color reading optics 9 and rhythm optics 10 return to their left-hand starting position. The apparatus is now ready for reading the next line of the master design 8.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular showing in the drawings, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of punching control cards, especially for the control of weaving devices which produce multicolor patterned textiles in conformity with the punch pattern on a control card comprizing in combination steps of; preparing a color design master in the form of areas colored in conformity with the desired textile pattern with the areas in side by side relation in adjacent lateral rows, preparing a color free control grid pattern with longitudinal lines spaced in conformity with the lateral width of said areas, scanning said areas row by row with a color optical system, simultaneously scanning said grid pattern in the lateral direction with a rhythm optical system, making said color optical system effective in response to said rhythm optical system passing over a line of said control grid pattern, and actuating a control card punching device in response to signals from said color optical system.

2. The method in combination according to claim 1 which includes adjusting at least said color design master and said color optical system relatively in the longitudinal direction following the scanning of each row of areas on said color design master.

3. The method in combination according to claim 2 which includes making said color optical system effective when the optical axis of the system is in about the center of a respective said area. 

1. The method of punching control cards, especially for the control of weaving devices which produce multicolor patterned textiles in conformity with the punch pattern on a control card comprizing in combination steps of; preparing a color design master in the form of areas colored in conformity with the desired textile pattern with the areas in side by side relation in adjacent lateral rows, preparing a color free control grid pattern with longitudinal lines spaced in conformity with the lateral width of said areas, scanning said areas row by row with a color optical system, simultaneously scanning said grid pattern in the lateral direction with a rhythm optical system, making said color optical system effective in response to said rhythm optical system passing over a line of said control grid pattern, and actuating a control card punching device in response to signals from said color optical system.
 2. The method in combination according to claim 1 which includes adjusting at least said color design master and said color optical system relatively in the longitudinal direction following the scanning of each row of areas on said color design master.
 3. The method in combination according to claim 2 which includes making said color optical system effective when the optical axis of the system is in about the center of a respective said area. 